On merit, how can anyone other than Chris Paul be MVP this year?

How ridiculous is this award? Shaquille O'Neal, one of the most dominant players in NBA history - no one argues this - won four NBA titles and went to six NBA Finals. He is, aside from Russell and Kareem, the most accomplished center in history. He's got one MVP.

Nash, who's never won a <i> thing </i>, has two MVP awards.

 

Alma,

You are implying that Shaq has been screwed out of the award. What years?

 

Thought I was the only one.

He does seem like a good guy and doesn't have any other incidents like that (at least that I know of). But that really rubbed me the wrong way. It's one thing to take a cheap shot at a guy in the heat of the moment. But going below the belt is indefensible.

 

You're right. Kobe will win it for the same reason that Karl Malone won it over Jordan in 98 and Barkley won it over Jordan in 93: he's been great for years, come close to winning it quite a few times but never quite done it, and the voters have determined it's his turn.

Kobe is deserving of an MVP, problem is probably not this year as much as others where he was denied. What Paul has done this season carrying that New Orleans franchise as a 6'0" point guard is unbelievable, but he won't win it this year because it's not his turn. But he probably will in a few years after a season that's not quite as good as this one has been for him.

 

Alma, re: Shaq:

Shaq's early seasons were dominated by men named Jordan, Olajuwon, Malone, etc. And that was when he thought he was a rapper/movie star, and was content to just dunk and make commercials and bad records and movies.

When he finally figured it all out in LA and Jordan was retired, he got the MVP in 1999-2000. The following year, he spent most of the winter making his idiotic "You gotta feed the big dog. If you don't feed the big dog, he's not gonna guard the yard" statements and asking to be traded because he thought Kobe took too many shots.

Ahem.

So in 2000-01, Iverson had a great year and got the MVP. The following year, frankly Jason Kidd should have won it as he had a season like the 1992-93 Charles Barkley "Get traded and transform a nice team into a title contender" MVP.

Can't argue with Tim Duncan in 2002-03. That was the year Shaq cost the Lakers the whole fall when he had surgery on his toe as training camp was about to begin. "I got hurt on company time; I'm gonna heal on company time."

In 2003-04 . . .well, Shaq and his supporters would say his numbers took a hit because of the addition of malone and Payton. I would say age and laziness finally began to catch up with him. And that year, his numbers frankly didn't merit major MVP consideration, not when Kobe Bryant was also dominating for the same team and hit every big shot as they stole the Pacific Division in the final days.

Take a look especially at the free throw percentage. It's like Shaq stopped caring. I love when people like Plaschke write (and fans believe) that those Lakers would have won "at least one more title" had he stayed. Against WHOM? Aging and stuck in cap hell, they would not have beaten the Spurs or Mavericks.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/o/onealsh01.html

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bryanko01.html

Also, Garnett won it that year, similar to when Malone won it in 1997. Then, the voters knew Jordan was the best player, but Malone finally had an excellent team around him, so hell, let's give it to him.

But Shaq did transform the Heat in his first two years with them, just as Nash made the Suns. There could be a good argument for Shaq getting the MVP in either year that Nash won it, sure.

 

I'm not going to sit here and say Chris Paul isn't having an MVP-type season because he darn well is. Amazing guard and I'm looking forward to watching him get even better through the years. Most people cite the reason for him winning, besides his amazing stat line, is that he has his team No. 1 in the West.

However, I think Kobe Bryant should win it, and not just because "it's his time."
Look at all the injuries the Lakers have endured this season. We're not talking guys sitting out a game or two. Bynum has been out months. Gasol has been out going on two weeks now. Derek Fisher is injured. Vladimir Radmanovic has missed time. Trevor Ariza has been out as long as Bynum.
And, I still haven't even brought up the fact that Bryant is playing with a pinkie finger on his shooting hand that is in serious need of surgery.

All those injuries and the Lakers are ONE GAME OUT of the top seed in the West. One game.
Paul's Hornets team, while a surprise, has some really good young talent, a great shooter in Stojakovic, a great rebounder/shot blocker in Chandler and a solid forward in David West. And, they haven't had to deal with the injuries that the Lakers have had to deal with.

Yes, the Lakers have had a couple of bad home losses in recent days. Look at the Hornets schedule, or the Celtics, or the Cavs and go through their results. Every team has had some bad spells at some point. Bryant has almost singlehandedly kept the Lakers afloat. Whether it's Gasol, Bynum or now Turiaf playing center, Bryant has kept the Lakers at or near the No. 1 spot in what is arguably the toughest conference in the history of the NBA.
Paul is a superstar. So is Kobe.
Kobe deserves the award not for his career, but for this season. Without him, the Lakers don't even SNIFF the playoffs in this Western Conference.

 

Tripp, solid post. I've never been a Kobe fan, but I would probably vote him for MVP this season. He's been the guy all season long, they've had injuries, and they're still among the elite teams because of his play this season. That said, there are also good arguments for Paul and Garnett, too. Any of those three, I wouldn't complain about as MVP.

 

I definitely agree with you. Solid arguments could definitely be made for Paul and Garnett. My choice would be Kobe, then Paul, then Garnett.
The one name I don't feel should be in there is Lebron James. The guy is an unbelievable talent, but I don't think he should win for the same reasons everyone thought Kobe Bryant didn't deserve to win these last few seasons: Unbelievable individual season on a team that's barely over .500. Especially when you consider Lebron's in the East. If Lebron was truly deserving of MVP, the Cavs would be in the mix with the Celtics and Pistons.

 

I do believe all these awards should be voted after the postseason.

 

I think that's one thing we can all agree on ... and for EVERY sport in the NCAAs and the pros.

 

You cannot have MVP voting after the playoffs. For one thing, it unfairly narrows the field. Every sport has had at least one MVP from a mediocre/shitty team. If you want to argue that Ernie Banks, O.J. Simpson, and Oscar Robertson weren't MVP-worthy players, be my guest.
The playoffs a separate entity. It's hard enough to determine the concept of "Most Valuable" individual in a team sport over a long season. The sane posters on this thread have acknowledged that Paul, Bryant, Garnett, and James are all enjoying seasons worthy of the award. Saying the winner should be decided by which guy had the best teammates in a short series is not fair.
I guess we can go back and strip Tom Brady of his MVP award and give it to Eli.